Railroad disaster plan tested in Downers Grove

At first glance, a freight train appeared to be leaking hazardous materials Wednesday in Downers Grove.

Turns out it was only a drill, but DuPage County public safety officials hope the exercise gives them insight into how to prepare for such an emergency.

The training comes as freight traffic is expected to double in the region by 2025. In the past year alone, more than 104,000 rail cars carrying crude oil traveled through DuPage County.

Over the past eight months, the DuPage Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management has been developing a blueprint for first responders to use in the event of a disaster on the tracks.

The plan shapes how an emergency operations center can support and provide resources for police and firefighters at the scene.

A grant administered by a state agency helped fund the planning - put to the test Wednesday near Warren and Oakwood avenues, where a mock derailment and hazmat cleanup was staged.

John Nebl, an emergency management coordinator for the county office, called the drill a "collaborative effort" involving different agencies that will continue to fine-tune the plan in the next few months.

The Illinois Emergency Management Agency also has expressed interest in using the plan "as a model statewide," he said.